Film-spool center.



W. F. FOLMER.'

HLM SPOO. CENTER.

APPLJCAHGN FILED 050.9, 191|.

- Puened June lS, 1916.

www,

WILLIAM F. FOLMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW

COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,

YORK, AssIeNoR To EYASTMAN Konex A ooRronATIoN or NEW Yomr rrtnsroon CENTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente J line 13. 1916.

Application filed` December 9, 1911. Serial N i). 664,729.

To all whom z' may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLmAM F. Femina, ot Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State oi New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Film- Spool Centers; and l do hereby declare the followingvto be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe saine, reference being;` had to the '-aceonlpanying drawings, forming a part ol this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention. relates to photography and more particularly to `photographic iilm cameras or roll holders, and it has for its object to provide a simple, cheap and convenient center for journaling the lilm spool in such manner as to permit its ready removal and replacement.

.A further object ot' the invention is to so construct the center that it may be easily locked in its retracted or releasing position, particularly when ot' the spring-actuated type, so that thc operator is not obliged to hohl on to it while manipulating the film spool, and a still lurther object of the invention is to provide an improved structure by the use ot which but one ot' the two centers or journals need be retracted to rele: sc the spool.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations oi parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, Ithe novel features beine' pointed out in the claim at the end ol the specification.

lin the drawings: Figure. l is a sectional view through thc lilm chamber of a camera or roll holder showing in side elevation a. center constructed in accordance with and illustrating;` one embodiment ol in v invention, the same being in its inward or opcrative position and in engagement with a spool; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thecenter retracted and thcy spool` removed; Figzl is a longitudinal section through the center, taken substantiallyY on the line 3-3 of Fie'. l. and llig. et a similar view, taken substantiall.\fy on the liuc `l-l ot Fig.

Similar rcl'crcncc numerals throughc the several heures indicate the same parl... The present Inventumr can be practised to the'last advantage in connection with the dead or non-rotativc centers. l believe, though lcaturcs` thcrootl are adapted 'For use in the winding centers as well, and l have,

therefore, illustrated in a fragmentary wa the feeding film chamber l of a roll holder or came 'a inclosed by what are, in the v present instance, top and bottom walls 2 and 3 and accessible through a door 4, usually at the back of the camera. The spool 5v may be of the usual type having the customar-y` circular recesses G and 7 at its opposite ends to receive the short cylindrical centers 8 and 9, respectively. The center 8 is, in the present instance, stationary and' xed to the upper wall so that when the spool is to be removed. the opposite center 7 is Adisplaced to permit of suiiicient longitudinal movement of the spool to allow of its the center 9.is carried at the inner end of a stem l() having a finger portion or head ll projecting to and accessible from the eX- terior of the camera or roll holder casing. This stem is journaled at l2 to rotate and also move longitudinally with a straight non-rotative movement in a socket piece comprising a mounting' plate 123, preferably dishe'd or recessed to give room for the operator-"s fingers above the ting-er piece ll and preferablyset into the wall 3, and also a cup-shaped portion l-l secured thereto and projecting' at its open side toward the interior oil the lilm chamber l. The two parts are secured together, imthe present instance, by a collar on the cup 14 that' forms the bciorementioned journal l2 and is turned over on the plate 13. The stem l0 is also provided with a cup-shaped portion l5, reversed with respect to the portion 14 and C0- operatingf telescopically therewith so as t0 mov-e into and out of the same. as a guide, as the stem moves longitudinally. lVitliin the two cups is housed a spring' 1G sur? roundingthe stem l0. as shown in Fig. 3, and having,r a tendency to move the latte inwardly and to hold the center 9 at the inner end thereof in operative position or in engagement with the spool 5..as shown in `Fig. l, and as the spring is still under com! pression during' such engagement, the shoulder 1T, iiormed by the cup-shaped portion 15 adjacent to the ycenter 9, engages the flange or end of the spool 5 with a yielding pressure that is designed to prevent the film 'from over-running,r as it is drawn fr .an the spool.

It will be observed that the cup-sl1aped portions let and l5 eect-ually house the attachment to both centers. To this end,

spring, 'ample room being left for it Within the cup 15 when the stem is retracted to its full extent and the spring is compressed, as

shown in Fig. al, and yet .a relatively great y length of movement is provided the stem 1.0 and the center' 9, carried thereby, during all of which the stem isl accurately guided so that the spool 45 maybe released, as before indicated, solely by the movement of the one center 9, the other center 8 being fixed or stationary.

It is desirable that the operator be not obliged to hold the stem 10 in thev retracted position of Figs. 2 and 4 against the tension of the spring 16 in order that he may be able to devote his Aentire attention and both hands to the manipulation of the firm spool and otherparts during such operations as the interchanging` of spools, and I, therefore, provide means for locking the stem in such retracted position by a slight change in the normal positionsof the fparts that they may be readily made to assume.` l)To this i end, one of theY cup-shaped portions, prefera'blythe socket piece 14, is providedr vwith a straight longitudinal slot 17a having a lateral extension 18 that forms a locking shoulder or abutment 19, while the other member 15 carries a pin or abutment 20,

fixed, in the present instance, with relation Ato the stem 10,v that traverses the slot 17 'j du ri n g the longitudinal movement of the stem between its inward and retracted positions. Ify at the end of the retracting; movement, however, the stem 10 is given a slight rotary movement, the pin 20, being in alinement with the extension 18 of the slot, will move intoengagement with the locking shoulder 19 'and prevent a return movement of the stem until a reverse rotary movement is imparted thereto so that the spring is held depressed andthe center 9 is'held retracted 'xvitliinthe cup 14 of the socket vand plenty of rbom is allowed for the insertion of the spool, 5 and the engagement of the fixed center 8 withV the recessv 6 at the opposite end thereof. l

Attention is called to the fact that when .the Stem is in its inward or operative position the first. act of withdrawing it necessitates .simply a. direct pull on the finger piece ll'and by the time the pin 20 isin alinement With the extiension 1S of the slot and a rotary movement is required, sufficient of the stem is accessible from the exteriorof the camera to give a good purchase 'for the lingers of the operator in effecting the rotation. y

I claim as my invention:

rIhe combination with the iilm chamber of a roll holding camera and a socket piece having a cup-shaped portion mounted in a wall of said chamber and opening inwardly,

of a longitudinally movable stem gournaled in the socket piece and having a head projecting from the chamber wall exteriorly of the camera and spaced from the socket piece in all positions, and also having an inverted 4stem is moved longitudinally between. an

inward spool engaging position and a. re-

tracted position wherein the spool is released and' to coperate with the locking shoulder by a .rotary movement ofthe stem to retain the latter in retracted position, and a spring housed Within the cup-shaped portions and normally tending' to move the stem inwardly. WILLAM F. Fontina..

Witnesses: i l

F. F. CHURCH, FLORENCE E. Finition. 

